Come along as I travel the world sourcing goods for my store, dig in while we renovate our 1930's rambling hacienda, watch out as our three young kids traipse through the tale...

Monday, June 18, 2012

Outdoor fireplaces

Phoenix, this time of year, is all about pool time - we have been able to enjoy the water even with the twins this year since our new pool has one of those shelfy-things -- (Baja shelves I believe they are called?) We splash around out there and cool off -- it's fabulous -- except for the fact that the back of the house is a wasteland. We spent the last year pulling out the endless stretches of deal oleanders and replacing them with stuccoed walls. Thankfully we now have lovely walls the same rusty orange as the house encircling the pool part of the yard - but there is literally nothing else. Gravel and blank walls are all we are looking at out there as we swim and lounge. (Well, not much lounging happens in our three kid reality - but you get the idea...)
I have been tinkering with the idea of building an outdoor fireplace as a focal point. I also want to put up a large shade arbor -- but it needs something more - thus the fireplace idea.

Here are a few that speak to me...

This peaked opening fireplace combined with arbor is lovely.

This is from Maine Design in House Beautiful recently. They have mirrors flanking the stone fireplace - a fun trick with reflected light to make things look more expansive.

This has made the rounds on Pinterest a lot - Sandy Kopeke -- those succulents cascading over the wall are so luscious -- and banquette seating might work in our space as well.

This was in House Beautiful a while back - Dana Lyon - an old customer of ours with exquisite taste -- I love the soaring chimney and the arched firebox -- and the lanterns are from Tierra Del Lagarto.

This angled fireplace could work outside if we placed it by the existing garbage area -- someday outdoor shower!

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About Me

Other than being frustrated that I can not, immediately, do everything I want to do to our new home - I work with my parents at our furniture and accessories store in north Scottsdale, Tierra Del Lagarto. We travel to places like India, Indonesia, Turkey and Morocco to hand select treasures for our 12,000 sq foot showroom.
I also am the ring master at the circus that is home life with young twins and their 4 year older brother. I have a wonderful husband who is sometimes actually home....
We travel, we renovate, we try to get through each day -- this is life.